Who let the Kraken out? Turns out it was an 18th-century Danish dude named Erik Pontoppidan! Though there had been various accounts of fearsome, tentacled sea creatures dating back to Viking times, Pontoppidan's light beach-read The Natural History of Norway described several Kraken "encounters" in detail and popularized the Kraken as a massive, powerful beast prowling the northerly seas.

Historians, not known for their maritime derring-do, know more about Pontoppidan than Krakens. Research shows that he never asked any Kraken for permission to blow up their spot like that! Not cool, man! Krakens will reveal themselves when they're ready! For example, this purple monster took a few hundred years to come around to the idea of trading in the briny deep for the comfy chair!